Safe and Sound Maybe?
by DrarryLover28
Summary: What happens when a boy is forced to become a man too young and on the wrong side of a terrible war? What happens to his counterpart who doesn't want anything to do with the war? This is set in "Eighth Year" and has a timeline of several months. Based on Sam Tsui's and Kurt Hugo Schneider's COVER of "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift. WARNING: Does contain character death. Sorry.


**Disclaimer:** I do not, nor have/will ever owned Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, or anything/anyone else associated with the Harry Potter world. They all belong to the AMAZING J.K. Rowling. This is purely for fun and creative expression.

**A/N:** Hey, guys! I know it's been a while since I posted something, but here you are. This is a little fic I wrote while working the 4-8am shift at school. The boys took this story, and ran it in a completely different direction than I had planned. Therefore, I feel it necessary to warn you that there is **CHARACTER DEATH** in this story...sorry, not my initial intention. This is based on "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift. However, if you want to listen to the song I was listening to, please listen to the amazing COVER by **SAM TSUI and KURT HUGO SCHNEIDER**. The video is available on YouTube. Anyway, enough jibber jabber. I really hope you enjoy, and please leave me a review with your thoughts on the story and any ideas/requests for songs to be used in later fics. Thank you for reading and now, here is "Safe and Sound...Maybe?" :)

* * *

It was over. The war had been won, and we were finally free. However, what we didn't account for was the unfortunate toll it had taken on us mentally. I found you the first night curled into yourself holding your knees while sobbing uncontrollably in a corridor heading to the Astronomy Tower. I couldn't stand to see you like that. It broke my heart. I knelt next to you and pulled you into my arms, surprised when you didn't try to pull away from the embrace. You soon relaxed and started breathing normally. That was the night I knew we were no longer enemies.

The second time was almost a week and a half later. I found you in the Astronomy Tower this time, looking solemnly at the grounds that were decimated. You jumped when you heard my footsteps move closer to you. I didn't mean to startle you. You weren't crying by the time I got there, but the tear stains still marred your beautiful face. It made my soul cringe when you looked at me with your eyes that were still swimming. I wanted to hug you, but instead stood still and just kept you company. That was the night I thought we could be good friends.

The third time came a month after that. You were outside of the Great Hall shaking. Initially, I couldn't tell if it was because you were cold or crying. Then I heard you whimper and quickly moved to wrap you in the hug that you desperately wanted. You clung to me—whether you realized it was me or not, I'm still not sure. We stood like that until you finally found your strength and regained your composure. You looked at me and quietly wiped the remnants of your breakdown from your cheeks. That was the night I fell in love with you.

Every time I would see you in the corridors during the day, I'd look at you and you'd smile back in acknowledgement. It made me feel special and not so alone. I knew you'd been through hell during the war, and were unfortunately caught on the wrong side of a worse situation. I knew you didn't want pity, so I tried to give you companionship and understanding instead. I'm not sure if you noticed, but every time you'd smile back at me, my heart would beat just a little bit faster and my breath would hitch in my chest.

One day during Potions, we were assigned as partners. Both of our sets of friends looked at us cautiously, but they didn't know us like we did. My heart jumped when I sat next to you. I couldn't help it. Throughout the lesson, you had bumped my hand or brushed my arm. I had hoped they were intentional, but I couldn't tell. I think that may have been the day you decided that we were no longer enemies and maybe even friends.

"Hey, Potter," you greeted quietly.

"Malfoy," I acknowledged.

Our friends looked at us like we had lost it because we were talking to each other instead of hexing. I secretly wished that you'd called me Harry instead, but the fact that you didn't insult or throw a spell at me was a victory in my eyes. It was a step towards actually mending the ties that had been severed before they even got the chance to connect. I blame that on both of us. You were cruel to the first person I'd made friends with, but I was also naïve and oblivious to the clear family feuding that had started generations before we were born. I now understand that it was all you'd ever known and had been taught that talking to Ron like that was expected of you.

I still wonder what would have happened if I had met you first. I was supposed to be in Slytherin, you know? I wonder what would have happened had I taken that path instead. If I'd known then what I known now, I'm not sure what I would have done. Would you have changed anything if you could? But I guess, that's all in the past now. We just have to move on.

"Harry? Are you okay mate?"

"Yeah. I'm fine, Ron. Sorry. I spaced out for a bit. What did I miss?"

"Nothing. You're just looking a little funny."

"Harry? What's really going on?"

"Nothing 'Mione. I promise. I'm just thinking is all."

They looked at me like I was a puppy that had just been kicked. I hated it when people looked at me like that. In some ways, I'd rather they gawk instead. It's disturbing. We all went through the same war; all lost people we loved. Why am I the only one people seem to be taking extreme pity on? I look at you, and I see the same pain in your eyes that I feel. No one ever looks at you like you're a kicked puppy. It's sad really. I sometimes wish that I could just put my hand on your shoulder and tell you that everything's going to be okay; that things will get better. But some days, I can't even convince myself of that.

"Hey."

"Hey. Are you okay?"

"Can we talk? Please?"

"Sure."

That was the first time I'd ever heard you say please. I was intrigued and easily followed you out of the library, into a corridor, and around a corner. I trusted you knew where you were going because I was completely lost. When you pulled me into a hidden alcove, I Instinctly moved to be close to my wand. I trusted you, but I wasn't sure what you were doing. I'm sorry for doubting you.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being there. Not completely ignoring me. Understanding that sometimes I don't want to talk, I just don't want to be alone. I really appreciate it. I'm sorry for what's happened since first year. I know I made your life hell."

"You're welcome. In your defense, I gave it right back to you though. I know what it feels like to have the weight of the world thrown on your shoulders. When that constant pressure finally disappears and you've lost people you love in addition your whole world collapses. We're more alike than I think either one of us ever thought, you know."

"I do now. I just wanted to properly thank you."

_I think I love you._ I didn't say it out loud, but I was screaming it in my head. I wished I'd told you then, but the past is the past. All we can do is move on. After that, you left. I was standing there, and all I could do was sink to the floor. I wish I'd followed you. I wish I'd pulled you back and kissed you. I wish I'd been the brave Gryffindor I was supposed to be. But, I wasn't and I didn't. But the past is the past. All we can do now is move on.

I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry that I let you down. I wanted to be your knight in shining armor. I wanted to be everything that you couldn't be. I'm sorry I wasn't. I'm sorry that you were hurting, and I didn't do everything to stop it. I'm sorry.

I remember your worst night. I could hear you sobbing from down the corridor. It's a wonder that none of the professors found you and gave you detention for being out after curfew. I almost ran trying to get to you as quickly as possible. When I got to you, I pulled you into my arms. You instantly curled into me. I started humming a song I remembered from when my Aunt Petunia would sing to Dudley if he was upset. It seemed to help some. I couldn't help but feel protective of you in that moment. I didn't know what else to do.

I didn't realize that you were bleeding until it was too late. You were whimpering into my chest, and you're breathing was becoming harsher. As you fell asleep, I sang the chorus to you out loud hoping more than anything that it would prove to be true.

**_Just close your eyes_**

**_ The sun is going down_**

**_ You'll be alright_**

**_ No one can hurt you now_**

**_ Come morning light_**

**_ You and I'll be safe and sound._**

I'm sorry that I couldn't save you. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to help carry your load. I'm sorry I was too distracted to notice how bad off you really were. I'm sorry that I let you down, Draco. I'm truly sorry. But now the past is the past, and all I can do is move on.

**A/N:** Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it! I know it ended very sad, and I apologize. I wasn't anticipating it turning so dark, but the boys apparently had a different idea in mind...sorry. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! Also, please to hesitate to share your ideas on other songs to use for my next fic. Thanks again for reading and have a FANTABULOUS day! :)  
~DrarryLover28


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